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February 2015 - In this Issue
Society Updates | SITC Resources | Get Involved
A Message from the President
Dear Colleagues,
As you may have heard, President Barack Obama recently announced during his State of the Union Address the launch of a new precision medicine initiative to work toward finding a cure for cancer and other diseases. Recognizing that precision medicine has already been saving lives across the country—and could save millions more with the proper funding in place—the United States is making strides toward a paradigm shift in modern medicine.
With public acknowledgement that targeted therapies are an answer to fighting this deadly disease, and recognition that there is no “one size fits all” approach, it is an exciting time to be part of the cancer immunotherapy field. Equipped with a better understanding of how cancer can outwit the immune system, knowledge of how the immune system can mediate tumor regression and new targeted immunotherapy drugs in development every day, we are positioning ourselves to establish what I call “precision immunology” as an important approach to selecting the right immunotherapy for the right patient. Our continued efforts in tumor immunology and immunotherapy will one day make the word “cure” a reality for patients everywhere.
Be sure to save the dates for SITC's 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Associated Programs (November 4-8), where we'll have presentations on precision immunology as well as many other late-breaking advancements in the field!
Best regards,
Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS
SITC President
Society Updates
Apply for the SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship Award by Monday, March 9
Available to individuals holding MD or joint MD/PhD degrees, the SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship is an opportunity for young investigators to obtain dedicated time and funding to catalyze their research and advance the field of cancer immunotherapy. In addition to receiving $100,000 for one year of salary, equipment, supplies and fringe benefit support, the award recipient will be recognized among peers and luminaries in the field at an upcoming SITC Annual Meeting.
Applications will be accepted through March 9, 2015. Applicants must be SITC members at time of submission to qualify. Get more information, including application instructions and a complete list of eligibility requirements, here.
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SITC Raises Cancer Immunotherapy Awareness on World Cancer Day
World Cancer Day 2015 took a positive and proactive approach to the fight against cancer, highlighting that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and they are within our reach.
In support of this event, the SITC team took to Twitter with an original #WorldCancerDay badge and Tweets with links to Society resources (including the lyrics to The Checkpoints' rendition of "Happy"!) that captured the attention of members and nonmembers alike.
With numerous downloads and retweets, SITC's awareness-raising activities were a great success. Thank you to everyone who participated in the event by sharing, forwarding and retweeting our cancer immunotherapy content!
Did you miss out on the action? Download the badge, and follow SITC on Twitter!
SITC Resources
Concepts in Immuno-Oncology: Understanding the Key Players CME Online, CME-Certified Activity Available for a Limited Time
Last year, SITC and Medscape released nine CME-certified activities offering leading-edge immune-oncology education that address both essential principles of cancer immunotherapy and recent advances in non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma and genitourinary cancers.
The first of these activities, “Concepts in Immuno-Oncology: Understanding the Key Players,” is available for CME credit through April 30, 2015 and is a comprehensive resource that covers immunologic cell types, their role in fighting infection, and preventing autoimmunity and the emergence of carcinogenic cells. Earn up to 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™—access the activity here.
The Promise of Cancer Immunotherapy from a Patient's Perspective
"Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Immunotherapy: A New Hope" is an 11-minute video that follows a patient's journey from NSCLC diagnosis through her decision to seek cancer immunotherapy treatment via a clinical trial. With more than 14,000 views, this video has proven to be an effective learning tool for patients and caregivers alike. Watch the video and share it with your patients and colleagues.
For even more information on cancer immunotherapy, including an up-to-date listing of clinical trials and resources, download the latest edition of Understanding Cancer Immunotherapy. Hard copies are also available. To request copies to share with your patients and colleagues, please contact info@sitcancer.org.
Get Involved
Spread the Word about Advances in Cancer ImmunotherapyTM
Do you know someone who would benefit from an introductory cancer immunotherapy course?
SITC President Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS and SITC Board Director Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD are organizing Advances in Cancer ImmunotherapyTM for Saturday, March 28 in Princeton, New Jersey!
This introductory, CME-certified program will provide oncologists and the entire team involved in treating cancer patients with an understanding of basic immunology principles in the clinical application and management of cancer immunotherapy and discuss emerging drugs and concepts in the cancer immunotherapy field. Interested parties can get more information and register here.
Attend a SITC Meeting
As a member-driven society, SITC members collaborate to create important and engaging educational and networking events every year. In fact, we have more than 25 confirmed activities coming up in 2015! Check out our list of upcoming meetings and educational activities, and be sure to save the dates for SITC’s 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Associated Programs!
Submit Your Manuscript to JITC
The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), SITC's own open access, peer-reviewed journal, not only serves as the global voice of the Society, but also a targeted outlet for the publication of original research articles, literature reviews, position papers and discussion on all aspects of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy—from basic research to clinical application. SITC is pleased to offer Society members waived article processing charges for manuscripts accepted in 2015—a $2,500 value! Submit your manuscript here.
Career Opportunities from SITC's Job Board
Georgia Regents University Cancer Center – Augusta, GA
Postdoctoral Fellow for Dr. Samir Khleif’s Lab
Georgia Regents University Cancer Center – Augusta, GA
Research Associate/Lab Manager for Dr. Samir Khleif’s Lab
Georgia Regents University Cancer Center – Augusta GA
Immunotherapy Fellow
Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Director, CHLA-USC Cell Therapeutics Program
Moffitt Cancer Center
Immunology Program Faculty Position
If you are interested in posting an open position to SITC's Job Board, please reference this agreement form for posting criteria or contact SITC at info@sitcancer.org.
Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)
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Phone: +1 414 271 2456 | Email: info@sitcancer.org
© 2015 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
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